The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-07
CANAL YACnTING.


Published By Special Arrangement with the
Authors.] ID
CANAL YACHTING.
A que er experience we had today
twelve miles through canal on
sailing yacht. 1t was unique and il
was very interesting. After leaving
Lake Cha mplain we sailed down the
Richelieu river to st. Johns, town
in Canada. Here we came to a
series Of rapids. To get around
these il is necessary to use the canal
as lar as Cbambly. Before this
canal was made the route around
these rapids was trail in the woods
used by the Indians and the French
who followed them. Over this trail,
which was called carry" or port
age" they carried their canoes and
equipments until they came to deep
water again. 1t was up the Richie
lieu, then called the River Of the
Iriquois," that Champlain came
when, nearly three centuries ago, he
discovered the lake that now bears
his name.
At st. Johns, where the evening
before we had been Hospitality enter
tanned by members of the Yacht
Club and by Mayor Macdonald, we
entered the first lock of the Chambly
canal.
1t was 430 o'clock in the morning
when French Canadian, who look cd
like a pirate who had been up all
night and had forgotten to change
his clothes or wash his face since the
fall Of Quebec, awoke us with wild
yell as We lay out in the river of
the town. He desired TO inform us
that he was the man who had been
engaged TO pilot us through the Vastly
depths OF the canal. He had about
100 feet Of repo in his hand, and to
the end Of the rope was attached a
pale horse Of nondescript breed and
grotesque structure. This brute-I
refer to the horse-was spawned, and
had an impediment in his aft star
board leg. (You see | am getting
posted 10 maritime language already.
When he lifted this leg he did il with
jerk, as il he had stepped on tack.
He stood about thirteen and half
hands above the water line, and the
only rigging he carried was the rope
aforesaid, single,ree aud saddle.
We pulled into the lock, the gate
was closed after US, the forward gate
raised, and on the rising waters the
Champlain floated until her deck
was level with the top OF the lock.
As the sun appeared over the eastern
hills We passed out OF the lock into
the canal; tho tow line was made
fast to the yacht, the driver swore,
and
Tux PALE HORSE GYBED
into the tow path aud promeuadod
north with a swinging, eccentric
stride. The yacht went rushing
through the wild waste of forty feet
OF surging waters az the rate Of three
{ four miles an hour.
! have a number OF friends who
like yachting but deny themselves
the pleasure, fearing ;hc attendant
danger. They talk OF squalls and
capsizing and running on a lee shore
and that sort OF thing. Now, TO all
such timid people, let me commend
canal yachting. You have all the
pleasure that you would have on the
briny deep. For instance, you can
keep your comb and brush and socks
and tobacco aud soap and crackers
all in one locker, just the same as n
you were yachting on the azure
main, aud the wood Of the loo or
will get damp and swell aud the
thing won't open.
% a canal there are the same IA.
cilitios for falling over stern sheets
and bobstays and buckets ms there
are elsewhere. Besides this. canal
yachting really offers advantages and
unique privileges that cannot be had
on lake or sea. There are no sails 10
trim, no lib boom TO knock of your
cap and hit you on the back Of the
neck a, II goes by, and, instead of
running before the wind with your
cap lashed down over your ears, you
don't run at all, you merely Glide
along In the wake OF SIS horse. who
does not feel himself above his bust.
ness. Then, II youi horse should
stray into cornheld aud run you ON
Ice shore, you can step oil the deck
on TO the Ice shore aud buy some
buitermilk. Or, IL you fall over.
board and go 10 the bottom, you can
stand up on tho broken pickle bot
ties and lost buckets that canalers
have dropped overheard, aud that
you will tind there. Should the Yacht
oapsiie in midstrcam. You can run
along the maipmast aud drop down a
farm house chimney, or swing your.
self Of on u haystack.
tell you aud ! speak from cxpo.
uence-ihere be many advantages in
canal yachting that the deep sea
yachtman little woteth ui-that IA. II
be ever wots a. all. When the yacht.
man on the moaning sea wants 10
stop he las % reel his sail and drop
IN. anchor. When we wish 10 pause
~ cur mad career on the canal We
."fN M'A'n W ray DtlAN 10 the
driver on the towpath, aud he SAYS
Nv hoa, or It's French equivalent.
% the pale horse, and that makes
him stop with an enthusiasm that
scaitors gravel over the adjacent
scenery. ! never saw horse that
conld stop Ia moro unanimous way
or Delay on such small provocation.
lie also occasionally made an extern.
poraoeous stop. One OF these occa.
sonal stops was nearly being his last.
There was light breeze. aud NO had
put mp a small sail 20 tighten the IA.
Dor Of the old horse. The spced Al
tainod by the yacht under sail re-.
quired that he should trot 10 Keen
the tow line taut. lie missed nj
driver, who bad stepped into a house
TO- got a light for bis pipe, and he
made one Of his imprompiu pauses
IL was not quite what could be prom.
orly called a full stop, but more Ia
the nature OF somicolcn. Tn,
yacht kept on AZ double the horse